Mississippi Was the 20th state to enter the Union on December 10, 1817. Ranked 31st in the United States by population with nearly 3 million residents and the 32nd in size with 48 thousand square miles of territory. There are 82 counties in Mississippi that act as local governments providing fundamental services to its residents.
The Freedom of Information and public record laws in Mississippi were written in 1983 and in more recently 1996 by state lawmakers to include electronic communications and data. These laws give residents of the state of Mississippi the right to request records and have access to all government meetings and affairs. Journalists and concerned citizen groups critical of the agencies and officials often challenge to improve access for better transparency of their government. Many Mississippian’s request records from agencies for personal needs such as recorded documents and certifications.
Accessing records from Mississippi agencies is necessary to conduct a proper background check. Mississippi criminal records are essential to a background search of an individual. A criminal history report can uncover past felonies and misdemeanors. Criminal history information can be provided by law enforcement or finding and requesting criminal cases from the Mississippi judicial system. Drivers records and status of licenses are available to the general public from the Department Driver and Vehicle Services. Employment screening can prompt background history and criminal record searches by employers and persons applying for work.
Locating assets can be challenging as many filings and recordings can contain private and protected financial information. However, government agencies are the custodian of many public records of assets such as real property and deed recordings. The Mississippi Secretary of State official website contains an instant corporate entity search revealing business owners names, address and the status of the filings. View images of the official company filed documents with Mississippi. The Southern and Northern districts of Mississippi bankruptcy courts can be accessed by the public for case information. Use the PACER system or case index to find the information you are seeking of assets and liabilities.
Public record searches are conducted for single document retrieval such as vital records. The state department of health provides records of births, deaths and marriages occurring in Mississippi. You can access the official site for certified copies you can order directly online. Verify the license of contractors, board certification and licensure of medical professionals online instantly. Other instant searches found on PublicRecordCenter are for safety information when moving to a new area such as offender registrations and the most wanted lists. UCC filings can be viewed with a free search of the secretary of state online database open to all residents and business owners. Find a person in Mississippi with a people locator search that can reveal present and past residences.
Regardless of the records you are seeking in Mississippi, a list of the most current and updated sites will show browsers where to locate information held by the state. State agency quality web sites include instructions with forms and direct access to data. Find how and where to make your public record requests with an index of sources from Mississippi’s agencies. Get help with expungements in Mississippi and many other helpful subjects surrounding public record retrieval.
